Chuck Versus the Palm
by bluenose141
Summary: Chuck, Sarah and Casey take a vacation to Dubai. But a romantic fortnight is not on the cards, as a new threat waits around the corner. But can their newly blossomed relationship survive? T rated- some parts may be M. R&R please
1. Chuck versus the Martini

Alexander Marr stood behind the bar, carefully polishing a glass lazily as he examined the bar. Drunken customers weeved around him, but he stood still- pretending to be oblivious to all that happened before him.

Which was how he had been trained by the Ring.

Even tonight, he felt he was wasting his time. Rather than pursuing several assets for their grand schemes, he was stuck watching over people who could barely string two words together. Marr preferred this condition through torture of course, but this was due to alcohol.

He admired the customer who was gently snoring at the bar. He was big- bigger than most, with the hint of slightly tanned skin and toned muscles beneath the casual attire he wore. He half wondered for a second if he should be woken up, and then turned against it.

The bell rang next to him, and a man in a plain shirt leaned over the bar towards him. His dark hair waved slightly in the draught from the open door. He gave a large grin, showing off a set of polished white teeth.

"Can I have a Martini please? Shaken, not stirred," he ordered, a hint of worry in his voice. Marr dismissed this of course, and doing his best ordinary barman impression he replied.

"Shaken not stirred? What are you, some sort of spy?" he chuckled, reaching for the glass. And as he turned his back to rummage for the bottle, he missed the events which would change his life.

The customer stood rigid for a second, a vacant look on his face. Then, a split second later he placed his hand on Marr's shoulder.

"You could say that," Chuck said darkly, revealing the knife he had kept up his sleeve.

Marr stiffened and went to reach for the gun under the bar, until he noticed the dozing customer had woken up and was pointing his gun directly at him. John Casey growled at the barman, who began to raise his arms in the air.

"Looking for something?" Casey growled, before the world around Marr went black.

*

_Meanwhile_

David Young was well aware of the events which were occurring in the bar. He was sat in the CCTV unit, and expressed disappointment as Chuck and Casey successfully disarmed his asset. Alexander never learns, he realised with pity, before rewinding the tape to see how it had happened.

Which was when the door knocked.

"Just a minute," he laughed, and shut the monitors down. Sweeping the door open, a woman with a blonde bun and glasses stood with a briefcase. She spoke with the hint of an Australian accent, and she smiled briefly at him.

"Good evening sir, I was interested in making an offer for your bar?"

"Nice try Agent Walker. Shall I kill you now or shall we do this the proper way?" Young replied, and then forced her into the room. He had his body faced towards her, and cockily pressed the remote button to reveal the tape of Sarah placing on her disguise before coming for him.

"You know, the CIA can do a lot more than give me a simple disguise you know," she said bitterly.

"I doubt it love. Now, shall I kill you quickly, or slowly,"

And then a hand rested on his shoulder, and Sarah's heart leapt a few beats.

"Quickly" Chuck Bartowski said, and pointed up at the air conditioning vent which lay busted. As Casey was cleaning up the scene, Chuck must have come to help her, she realised.

So as David Young stared in sadness at the air conditioning, he missed Sarah Walker's M9 slip out of her briefcase. Two dull shots echoed across the office, and Young slumped forward. Sarah walked forward and into Chuck's open arms.

"Hey honey. I missed you,"

*


	2. Chuck versus the Good News

**A/N: ****A big thank you to the fans who have subscribed to the story so far, which has helped me to be confident enough to write this next instalment so soon. Thanks for reading- hope you enjoy it. I also don't own Chuck or any of the characters. Thanks =D**

_Castle._

Chuck Bartowski sat on his chair within Castle, one arm around Sarah's neck. Everything in his life seemed to be going his way, ever since he had gone to find his father. For once in his life, he had it all; the Intersect; a happier sister (and brother in law); friends and more importantly Sarah.

Once they had kissed, there was not much turning back. True, they were just starting to date, but things were fine as they were. His mood had greatly improved, and he relished the abilities of the new Intersect.

Which brought him to think about Bryce.

There was a touch of poignancy within Chuck: a feeling to which even Casey had shown a sign of sympathy towards. Bryce had died for their cause, but they vowed to fight on.

Casey growled as Chuck stared emptily into space, bringing him crashing back down to Earth.

"Wise up Bartowski. Beckman's on Line One,"

General Beckman flickered onto the screen, her hair in the same old bun as always. But for once there was the hint of a smile twinkling in her eyes.

"Agent Walker, Major Casey and Mr. Bartowski. I want to congratulate you for your efforts last night,"

Sarah squeezed Chuck's hand with delight. "Really General, it was more Chuck than us,"

Casey shot her a piercing look, but Chuck stuck his tongue out at him.

"Now now you two," the General smiled briefly. "I just wanted to remind you all with a small token of my appreciation. Agent Walker, please will you check under the till?"

Sarah walked across the room, and Chuck couldn't help but admire the way she walked confidently. If only he could…

"Tickets to Dubai?" Sarah asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Exactly. The three of you are free to holiday there, as it were. You will stay in the Burj Al Arab for a fortnight, all expenses paid by the CIA,"

Chuck squeezed Sarah's hand, and a look of realisation dawned on her face. Two weeks away from spy work. The perfect chance to start again.

*

_Buy More_

Fifteen minutes later, Chuck entered the Buy More casually. As usual, the place was a literal mess. Even under Emmett, the Buy More's tendencies to be manic had remained through. The Manager had instead decided to hide inside his office, leaving his employees to run amok.

And then suddenly there was a loud squealing sound from behind him as Morgan Grimes ran from the staff room and jumped onto his back.

"Chuck I got some great news!"

"Not now buddy. I'm off on my vacation to Dubai," Chuck grinned, already daydreaming about a fortnight with Sarah Walker in the most romantic city in the world. Chuck had often dreamed about Sarah and him, and now he had the chance. The sun. The sand. The sea. The girl…

"Don't you wanna hear my good news?" Morgan pouted.

"Go on then,"

"I entered a competition and I could win a vacation too!"

"Morgan, you do realise that those things are probably just fakes. Just ask Jeff,"

As if on cue, Jeff poked out from behind the Nerd Herd desk. His ginger hair was wafted over his red face.

"I'm saying nothing about nothing or nothing," he added helpfully, before collapsing forwards and hitting his head on the bell as he fell.

"So you're leaving me then buddy?"

"Yeah. It's just for two weeks," Chuck replied, clearly eager to get home and pack.

"I can't believe it. No Chuck. No Ellie. I'll have to… hang out with… Jeff…" Morgan choked, wiping a mock tear from his small face.

"You'll be fine buddy. See you later," Chuck replied, hugging his best friend briefly. He skipped out of the Buy More and saw Sarah parked in an Audi R8.

"Honey, where did you get this car?" he asked, a hint of surprise in his voice.

"Actually, I rented it so you could drive us to the airport," Sarah replied warmly, kissing him on the cheek as he climbed into the driver's seat. Then he noticed her words.

"Us?" Chuck inquired, eyebrows raised. He adjusted the mirror to reveal John Casey lounging in the back with a glass of champagne.

"What? Beckman said us,"

*


	3. Chuck versus the CheckIn

**A/N: ****A big thanks to the people who have subscribed to Chuck Versus the Palm. They will arrive in Dubai soon I promise, but first we have the interesting events in America to settle first. If you like it, please feel free to drop me a line or leave a review =D. Once again, I do not own Chuck or anyone to do with it. Any spontaneous combustion or attack of giant ninja monkeys is not my fault.**

_The airport._

Chuck strolled through the airport, one arm around Sarah Walker while the other one around his suitcase. Behind him, John Casey walked- his eyes dashing about for potential terrorists.

"Casey will you give it a rest? If there was any danger in us checking in on a flight I'm sure General Beckman would have told us,"

"You wanna take that risk Bartowski? You want your bag to go missing or something?" Casey replied, an edge of paranoia in his voice.

"Guys c'mon. We're off on a once in a lifetime trip to Dubai. Can we at least get on until we get onto the plane?" Sarah pleaded, flicking a blonde curl from her eyeline. Casey nodded reluctantly, and began cracking his knuckles at some leering teenagers.

Placing their suitcases in the check-out desk went without much incident.

"So how many are in your party?" the lady behind the desk asked cheerfully.

"Just the three of us," Sarah replied calmly.

"I see. Now then sir, will you be taking the child's option on the menu?" she joked, looking directly at Casey. Casey pounded his fist down onto the desk, leaving cracks around the edges. She yelped in fright, and processed the tickets.

"First class?" Chuck gulped, wrapping an arm around Sarah's back.

"The CIA want us to relax this time Chuck. Enjoy it. You deserve it," Sarah replied soothingly. They walked hand in hand towards the departure lounge, and stopped before a large window showing a view of the exterior. Sarah shimmied closer to Chuck and wrapped an arm around his neck.

"I hope you don't mind, but I only requested two bedrooms. And one has a double bed," she purred into his ear. Chuck smiled weakly and looked at the beautiful woman before him. His heart started to beat like crazy, and he could feel Sarah pushing him towards her. Closer, and closer until their lips were about to plunge together…

"Chuck! CHUUUUUCK!" yelled a voice, and a small bearded man ran at them. Quickly they broke apart, and in his excitement Morgan Grimes missed John Casey dive for him but miss and crash into a Sunglasses Hut.

"I won the competition. I'm going to Dubai!" Morgan yipped like a small dog. He stared in admiration at Sarah and Chuck, who could only manage to look back at him in confusion (in Chuck's case) and annoyance (in Sarah's case).

Casey staggered towards them, dusting off his sleeves.

"Hey John. Didn't know you were going to Dubai too. You ok buddy? You seem to have hurt yourself. And look at the mess behind you! Honestly, airport maintenance these days,"

Casey growled, and Chuck noticed his veins bulging from his neck.

"Ok Morgan, well umm Sarah and I are going to pop into the duty free. So we'll catch up with you later," Chuck replied, dragging Sarah behind him. They walked towards the large store which beckoned them on, away from a confused Morgan and a temperamental Casey.

"Don't worry. He's in economy honey. He won't be bothering us at all," Sarah soothed him, wrapping her arm once again around Chuck's neck. Chuck leaned in closer and felt the taste of Sarah's lips- was that raspberry he could taste. They stayed kissing for a moment, before they pulled apart and began dotting around the store.

A few minutes later, they rejoined Casey and Morgan at their bags. Sarah handed Casey a blue bag.

"What's this for Walker?"

"Chuck and I realised you didn't have much entertainment, so we bought you a crossword book,"

"What, they sold out of Sudoku or something?"

"Casey, are you implying you're a fan of Sudoku?" Chuck questioned, ignoring the scowl that spread across his friend's face.

"I find the numbers somewhat of a challenge. It's a true representation of life's struggles," Casey shrugged, flicking through the pages.

"Wow. Guess the big fella is excited about going abroad after all,"

*

The last step to the check in was the security booth.

"Uhh honey. Am I right in thinking that you have that knife attached to your leg?" Chuck whispered impatiently as they stood in the queue.

"Don't worry. CIA technology messes up their scanners. It's fine," Sarah reassured him. Chuck thought about the kiss for a minute, and smiled. A hotel room in the most luxurious hotel in the world with Sarah Walker awaited him. Heaven.

Sarah walked through calmly, followed immediately by Chuck who was still caught in his reverie. Last came Morgan, who walked nervously through the machine.

Which beeped.

"Excuse me sir, I'm going to have to search your body for anything that shouldn't be there,"

"If you're after something that should be there it's his brain," Casey whispered to them as they proceeded to the flight gate. As they approached the plane, they could hear a protesting Morgan in the background.

"Look, it's just my PSP. I always carry it around my neck. No don't take it off me!"

*

**Next chapter: **** Casey and Sarah versus the 16 hour flight.**


	4. Casey and Sarah Vs the 16 Hour Flight

**A/N: ****A big thanks to everyone who has read so far. Hope you're enjoying it and please ****please ****leave me a review so I know which bits you liked and which bits you didn't. I feel I should put the disclaimer on one more time just to remind people I don't actually own Chuck. There we go. Happy Ninja Attacks!**

_On the flight. 16 hours until touch down in Dubai International Airport._

Sarah settled down into her 45" recliner seat next to Chuck, shaking slightly in excitement at the thrills which awaited her. Across the aisle to her lounged John Casey, who was unfortunate enough to pick the short straw and sit next to a young boy playing on his Nintendo DSi.

"Should keep him quiet," Casey had smiled smugly, before settling down with his crossword book.

The flight attendant walked onto the deck with a bottle of champagne, to which she gladly accepted. She toasted to Chuck, and then drank it slowly. She loved flying first class, but she had never flown first class with Chuck before.

"Right then ladies and gents, I'd like to brief you on the safety procedures with this short demonstrational video" the attendant announced shortly afterwards to the groans of the agents. Some things never changed.

"Uhh Sarah shouldn't you be paying attention?" Chuck asked smugly as they were reminded to exercise during the flight.

"Chuck, I've been on hundreds of flights before and I practically know the procedures. Plus I had to work undercover once as a stewardess,"

"Do you still have the outfit?" Chuck asked, raising an eyebrow, before the flight attendant shushed them. Sarah giggled, before settling back into her seat and reaching for Chuck's hand. Everything began to feel natural- for two weeks she could stop being Agent Sarah Walker and just be Sarah Walker- girlfriend to Chuck Bartowski. And with that thought in her head, she couldn't stop smiling.

_Somewhere over the Atlantic_

"Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking, we appear to be encountering some turbulence. We'd advise all passengers to buckle up until we're safely out of it. Thank you for your time,"

Chuck grimaced slightly and looked at Sarah.

"Sarah, maybe I've just watched too many episodes of Lost but what if the plane crashes and we have to live on an island?"

"Sounds like you've been watching too much TV moron," Casey replied gruffly, staring up from his crossword.

The three started laughing, or more precisely Sarah and Chuck started laughing and Casey grunted.

"Hey Moron, I need your help," Casey asked a few minutes later.

"What's that Casey. YOU? Need MY help?" Chuck taunted, and Sarah spat her orange juice back into the cup.

"Enough Moron or I'll break your face. 9 letters, person devoted to a particular cause, often seen to be hard and misguided in history,"

"Hmm," Chuck seemed to consider for a minute. "J-O-H-N-C-A-S-E-Y?" Chuck spelled out to Casey's annoyance. Casey unbuckled his seatbelt and went to reach for Chuck.

"Really sir, you heard the Captain. Sit down or you'll hurt yourself," the flight attendant reprimanded, and he was forced to sit down again.

"I love holidays" Chuck smiled, relaxing into his seat.

*

_Still on the Atlantic._

"Chuuuuck. I'm bored," Sarah pouted, poking her boyfriend on the ribs.

"Sarah, do you not want to watch the amazing shows that this plane has selected for us?"

"Really Chuck, I seriously doubt that Bee Movie is my kind of film," she smiled sadistically.

"Oh come on Sarah. Think of something interesting to do. Even Casey's getting in the spirit!" Chuck replied, before reaching over and kissing Sarah briefly on the lips.

Across the aisle, the young boy had leaned over to Casey and had asked for his help. Soon, the two of them were engaged in the boy's Pokemon game.

"No, you should use your water gun!" Casey had yelled at one point.

"Casey, this is very out of character for you," Chuck had pointed out.

"And Moron? I'm bored okay? And I practically helped to design the original," Casey mumbled for a second, before returning to the Nintendo DSi.

"Let me show you this then. It's how you can kill a person with your palm," Sarah offered, demonstrating her palm.

"Sarah. We are on a commercial flight. Can we please leave the spy stuff for a little bit?" Chuck replied, before Sarah burst out laughing. Of course, Chuck realised. It was a joke.

Another flight attendant walked from behind the curtain and placed a hand on Chuck's shoulder. Chuck looked up, amused, and stood still.

He was flashing.

A series of images ran before his head. The flight attendant was called Damian Briggs. He was wanted in seven countries for murder, and he was currently presumed missing.

"Chuck Bartowski?" Damian asked. "I was sent to find you,"

*

**A/N: ****The plane journey will conclude in Chapter 5 when we finally touch down in Dubai! **


	5. Chuck Versus the Game boy

**A/N **: **A huge thanks for the feedback that was left after the last chapter. I couldn't leave it on a cliffhanger for this amount of time, especially as I couldn't help but toy with a few scenarios through the day. So here's Chapter 5 ahead of schedule! Aren't I nice? You've all read the disclaimer, and uhh Happy Ninja Attacks!**

"What do you mean?" Chuck gulped, tightening his grip on Sarah's hand. Concerned, Sarah looked at Chuck's face and knew he had flashed.

"There's a man in economy class. Says he's looking for a Chuck Bartowski?" he asked innocently, and pulled back the curtain to reveal Morgan Grimes munching on a pack of nachos.

"Morgan, so you got on huh?" Chuck said, obviously relieved.

"Yeah. They had to scan my PSP in case I was an idiot. Who'd have thought ay?" Morgan tutted, nearly causing Casey to burst into tears of laughter. "I can't believe you got **first class** though buddy. I always wanted to come in here!"

To the disgust of the other passengers, Morgan ran to the front of the plane and started sniffing the leather seats.

"Sarah, that flight attendant who just talked to me is wanted for murder," Chuck breathed, keeping an eye on Damian as he was serving an old lady behind them. They smiled as Morgan ran eagerly towards them carrying pillows, a half eaten slice of pizza taken from a customer's hand and an in flight magazine.

"See you on the ground buddy," Morgan yelled as he darted past another flight attendant.

"Excuse me Chuck, I just need to go to the bathroom," Sarah apologised. She stood up and left Chuck to watch the screen. The graphic of the plane showed they were over a country called Wales. Amazing- he'd heard of London but never of a country which sounded like a sea animal.

Casey coughed twice, and proceeded towards the back of the plane. Chuck sidled into his seat and looked at the boy's game.

"So what you playing?" Chuck asked innocently, offering his trademark Chuck Bartowski smile. The one he knew Sarah melted over. He tried not to freak out as he waited for her to return.

"Pokemon. Do you want to see my Pikachu?" the boy asked innocently. But that's not the way Chuck saw it.

He began to flash.

First an image of the cartoon character, then a space facility in the middle of Kansas studying unknown artifacts. Government documents appeared, highlighted in red by OPERATION PIKACHU, followed by a Japanese guy grinning as he dissected a yellow rat.

"Who'd have thought Pikachu was a government conspiracy," Chuck mumbled.

"You're crazier than the big guy. At least he knows about Squirtle's moves. And he likes candy too!" the boy said approvingly.

"Yeah, he's a right Sugarbear," Chuck muttered half heartedly.

_Meanwhile_

"Excuse me sir, can I have some assistance in the toilets?" Sarah asked Damian innocently. Eagerly, the man trotted down the stairs. Clearly he had watched too many romantic films to know what to expect.

Which unfortunately for him was not what he wanted.

Sarah invited him into her cubicle, and then began to unbutton her top button. As he watched, fascinated, she pinned him right up against the wall and squeezed his cheeks together.

"Now you listen here. I don't care if you're wanted for murder. I don't care if you're wanted in however many countries. But if you dare do anything to ruin this holiday, I will throw you out of the plane myself. Do you understand?"

Unfortunately for Damian, he didn't. He spoke very little English as it was. He could only understand the words Murder and wanted, as well as basic English like he was instructed back at home. So he began to fight back.

Big mistake.

Sarah opened the door to reveal Casey, cracking his knuckles in delight. He pinned Damian against the wall, and then punched him in the gut. As Damian sank to the ground, Casey placed a foot firmly on his chest and grinned defiantly. Chuck poked his head round the corner innocently, and looked in shock at the unconscious attendant.

"Communist," Casey spat.

"Really Casey, is there any need?" Chuck asked, amused as he linked arms with Sarah.

"Not him. I just finished my first crossword,"

*

After what seemed like an age, in which Casey had single heartedly managed to beat the Indigo League or something, Morgan had been threatened to be dropped off in Berlin and Chuck had beaten Sarah on the interactive Chess game, the plane touched down in Dubai International Airport. They breezed through Customs with nothing to declare- Sarah linking an arm around Chuck's proudly as they walked out into the Arabian sun. Casey blinked twice, and put on some shades.

"Casey, you're giving me a Terminator vibe here," Chuck said as a stretch limo pulled into the area. The driver smiled as they sat down inside, and then offered them a glass of champagne each.

"So where to?" he asked innocently, adjusting his rear view mirror.

"Burj Al Arab please," Sarah said, giddy with excitement. They were on their way.

**CONTENTS WARNING: THE NEXT CHAPTER MAY CONTAIN ELEMENTS OF FLUFF. THOSE OF YOU WITH A SENSITIVE NATURE TO THAT SORT OF STUFF MAY WISH TO SKIP (YEAH RIGHT). YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED =D **


	6. Chuck & Sarah vs the Pool Table

_**A/N: **_**A huge thanks to the reviews from the previous chapter. I feel this chapter isn't as funny, but as promised there is a bit of smut/fluff/etc. Some parts are rated T and M (shame there isn't an I or it could be rated TIM.) This is my first time writing smut, so please don't laugh! Happy Ninja Monkey Attacks, and remember if you touch yourself while reading this then the Ninja Monkeys may find out where you live…**

_Burj Al Arab_

"Ladies and gentlemen, or should I say lady and gentlemen," the driver announced as they drove across the bridge towards the Burj Al Arab. "Welcome to the Burj Al Arab. On behalf of everyone here we would like to wish you a very pleasant stay,"

The driver helped them take their suitcases into the porch, where Chuck's mouth dropped. 

The place inside was huge and modern. The reception area was gold plated; a water fountain gushed water towards the sky. Together, the three agents walked across this different world and up to the reception area. Casey stopped to examine the menu for the evening, as he put it, which really meant examining the guests who were talking about them. A man in a suit looked at Sarah and Chuck and smiled.

"Your name, please?"

"Walker," Sarah stated, slightly breathless from the scene of affluence before her.

"Ah yes. Very lucky. Right on the top floor Miss Walker. Room 1A and 1B,"

Chuck guided Sarah towards the elevators, and inside he hammered the button to the top floor. Sarah slipped an arm around him and gave Casey his keycard.

"Hang on. Where's Bartowski's keycard?" Casey grunted in confusion.

"It would seem there was a mistake in the bookings John. They only booked two rooms, so Chuck and I will share," she replied simply, poking John's abs.

"Oh, I see what's going on here," Casey replied, and winked wryly at Chuck. The doors pinged open to reveal a lavished corridor with two doors. The walls were lined with furnishings- the only bit which didn't express the tremendous wealth which had been pumped into the hotel was the fire escape.

"Dinner's in two hours Walker, so I thought I might as well try another crossword," Casey said, before disappearing into his bedroom. Chuck stepped inside his bedroom and froze.

It was roughly the size of his apartment back in California, but a lot more appealing. They had their own cooking area with latest equipment; hell they even had a pool table!

"Hey Sarah, you fancy a game of pool?" Chuck asked five minutes later, having explored their room and found an Xbox 360 elite. Now **that** was awesome.

"Actually Chuck, I sort of had other ideas," she purred, and Chuck glanced behind him and stopped.

Sarah had changed into a bright red bikini, and was advancing towards Chuck. She wrapped an arm around his head and kissed him passionately. Chuck responded with equal pleasure, slipping his tongue into her mouth. She gasped slightly, and began a duel with their tongues. They broke apart for a moment, and Chuck beamed at her.

"You're so pretty. What did I do to deserve this?" Chuck mumbled, feeling himself hardening.

"You were you," Sarah replied simply, unbuttoning Chuck's shirt to reveal his glowing chest.

"Sarah, are you sure you want to do this? Won't it affect our asset and handler relationship?"

"Don't you see Chuck? I want more. We're on holiday, and we deserve this. And it's what I want. I can see it in your eyes Chuck," she purred, kissing his neck.

"Well in that case," Chuck stuttered, sliding a hand up her thigh towards her pants. She moaned again, and fiddled with the belt buckle of Chuck's shorts before running for the lounge.

"Sarah! Come back here!" Chuck yelled happily, and felt himself flash. How to seduce a woman. He felt the sexual tension from across the room and charged after his girlfriend. He slung her over his shoulder and planted her on the pool table, tearing off her bikini top to reveal her breasts. She wrapped her legs across his back and pulled him closer, feeling his erection in his boxers. Sarah had waited a long time for this, and she was finally ready.

And as Chuck thrust inside her, she let go of reality and descended into a world of bliss.

*

When they were spent, they lay on the pool table panting when there was a knock on the door.

"Just a minute Casey," Sarah replied, slipping on her bikini as Chuck fumbled with his pool shorts.

Casey barged into their room, and looked at them slyly.

"Could you keep the noise down next time Walker? Some of us really don't want to listen to you screaming Bartowski's name again and again,"

Sarah blushed, and Chuck bit his bottom of lip.

"Don't worry about it. You kids have fun," Casey remarked slyly, before heading for the door. "Oh, by the way, I was admiring the view from the balcony when I saw a familiar face down by the poolside," he added enigmatically. "Fancy a look?"

Eagerly, Sarah and Chuck grabbed their towels and raced for the lifts leaving Casey alone to lock up.

"Honestly, it's like looking after a bunch of teenagers,"

*

The lift doors pinged open once again to reveal the ground floor. Chuck, Sarah and Casey blinked as the Arabian sun smiled down on them through the skylight.

"Damn it! Romeo and Juliet!" Casey yelled, hitting his head in frustration.

"Casey, honestly! Why the random outbursts aimed at Chuck and I?" Sarah pouted.

"Not you guys. A clue to the crossword. Two starstruck lovers was the clue," Casey grunted, earning a sarcastic glance from Chuck.

"Guess you like our present then big fella," Chuck replied, and started laughing.

And then froze.

Screams were coming from the nearby Mexican restaurant, and the sound of smashing plates and footsteps alerted them. Groaning, Sarah set off followed by her fellow agents towards the chaos ahead.

**A/N: ****So you liked that huh? Well the normal humour and action will continue in the next chapter which will feature an excursion! Oh, and Happy Valentine's Day.**


	7. Casey versus the Flame

**A/N: ****So it turns out that the Ninja Monkeys know where a lot of people live. That's fine. There's a bit of fluff in here. I've taken your advice and added a few tweaks to this chapter. Big thanks for the continued reading and the reviews. Hope my first attempt at smut satisfied you ;)**

**On a secondary note, if anybody is available to Beta my work, please would you let me know if you're interested. Thanks again. GW.**

Casey hurled into the dining room, half wishing he had a Sig Sauer in his hands. As it stood, he had his crossword book, which wouldn't do him much good. He hurled open the doors, half expecting to see a secret agent armed to the teeth with machineguns.

So he was audibly disappointed to discover Morgan Grimes running helter skelter across the restaurant, stealing peoples' food from their hands. He seemed manic, the way his limbs reeled.

Chuck raced across the restaurant towards his best friend.

"Dude, what are you doing?"

"I fancied some nachos,"

"Yeah. Doesn't mean you can steal other peoples' nachos Morgan," Chuck reprimanded.

"What can I say Chuck. I'm El Diablo," Morgan groaned through a mouth full of nachos.

"Morgan, I expect this behaviour from Jeff or Lester. Not you,"

Chuck left his best friend to wreak havoc in the restaurant and approached Sarah. Together, they pressed the doors open to reveal a large swimming pool. Chuck and Sarah took off their shirts and dived into the pool as Casey made his way towards the pool side bar.

"Busy day?" the barmaid asked without looking. Casey relaxed into the cool water and shut his eyes.

"Yeah, flying across the country with two lovesick puppies sure does make you want a drink or two,' Casey mumbled. He looked behind him briefly to reveal Chuck and Sarah splashing each other happily and couldn't help but feel a pang of happiness.

"Well then John, I'd recommend you take a big drink,' she said. Casey turned back to look at his barmaid.

Carina stood there in a bikini, wiping a glass. She smiled seductively at him, and then looked at Chuck and Sarah.

"Guess they finally got together," she mused as Casey began to check her out. Same old Casey she realised.

"Room 1B Penthouse," Casey muttered unconsciously. She grinned at him, and then left to serve a customer. At last, Casey reflected as he sipped his pina colata. This holiday was finally going to become interesting.

*

"Sarah, what are you doing?" Chuck asked 3 hours later as they dressed. He was wearing a dark blue tuxedo- she was dressed in a bright red dress.

"I've booked us an excursion tonight Chuck. A trip on a speedboat around the Gulf at night. Does that interest you?" she smiled, admiring the way he looked. He'd grown in confidence since she had met him in the Buy More.

"What happened to Morgan anyway?" Chuck asked, adjusting his bow tie.

"The local security escorted him off premises. Which is good cause we can't have him ogling over Carina can we?"

They left their hotel room and paused outside Casey's door.

"Should we tell him we're going on a cruise?" Chuck asked briefly. Inside the room they could hear Casey seducing Carina.

"I think we'd better leave him," Sarah mused, kissing Chuck's hand.

30 minutes later they were relaxing on board a speedboat. The wind blew in Sarah's hair, sending it flying into the breeze as she stood on the edge. Chuck approached behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist.

"I'm King of the World," Chuck muttered into her ear.

"I thought that was Casey," Sarah replied, giggling. The boat dipped over a wave, sending a spray of foam into them.

The driver approached them and gave them a glass of wine each. They linked arms and drank from each other's glasses. Up ahead they could see the setting Arabian sun, and Chuck relaxed. Best vacation ever.

A cooler air blew at them, and Chuck held her tightly to his body. Their hearts beating in unison, Sarah shut her eyes and began to relax.

Which is roughly when the driver swung back towards the hotel.

"What's going on? We can't go back to the hotel yet?" Chuck muttered, concerned.

"I'm afraid I must return early," the driver replied. "We are running out of fuel,"

*

As they arrived back on their floor, they heard banging coming from the room next door to them. Concerned, Sarah pressed her keycard into position and opened the door to reveal John Casey's apartment.

The place had been turned upside down. A pile of clothes littered the furnishings, but more worryingly was Casey himself. He was dressed only in boxers, and was handcuffed to the bed.

"Casey, what happened here?" Chuck asked, arching an eyebrow due to the fact his colleague had fallen for the same trick time and time again.

"Your friend Carina. Things were going well until she said she wanted a little bit of air. This was 15 minutes ago. She's still in the bathroom I think on the cell phone,"

"Should we check on her?" Chuck asked Sarah quietly.

"No, we should let Casey and Carina have a little bit of fun. Even Casey deserves a little bit of fun,"

They entered their rooms, and Chuck headed straight for the bed. Sarah placed her dress on a hangar and climbed next to Chuck. After the action of the morning, it was nice just to stay there and be held.

"I love you," Sarah said, staring at Chuck's eyes.

"Enough of the mushy stuff already!" Casey's voice boomed from the wall behind them. Had he placed a bug on them?

"Chuck, it would seem that Casey's planted a bug in the bedroom. Shall we prove to him what a bad idea that was?"

Chuck wiggled his eyebrows, and then took Sarah in his arms. As she slid her arms down his body, she was unaware of Casey's groans of annoyance. This was all that mattered to her now.

*

_Meanwhile, on the marina._

"How did events go tonight Kris?"

"Fantastic. A young couple from the penthouse borrowed the speedboat. I took them on a standard tour. I think they're the ones we were instructed to watch over,"

"Do you want to ring the Council of Elders or shall I?"

"Not yet. Let them have a few days rest whilst we gather intel on them. When the time is right, we will strike them down,"

**So, who are the mysterious pair plotting against Team Bartowski. The next chapter or so will focus on their work as a team- sort of like Chapter One- with the humour of the previous chapters still there. This is not the end of the smut- there may be more. Chapter 8: Chuck versus the Skis.**


	8. Chuck versus the ski

**A/N: Whether it was the launch of the double chapter or something in the water, last night's double helping sure seemed popular! So I've brought out Chapter 8 as promised. Please leave a response somehow if you have any suggestions. Oh, and the monkeys have been released. Just to give you a heads up.**

_3 a.m. Day 5 of the vacation_

The flat screen television in front of their bed flickered on to reveal General Beckman. Chuck poked his head out of the duvet, aware of the crackling sound and paused with fright. Was the General meant to see him sleeping with Sarah?

Of course, things had taken a definite increase in happiness during his time over in Dubai. They had been able to abandon their lives as spies and become a normal boyfriend and girlfriend visiting a foreign country. Even Casey had been able to forget about his usual paranoia thanks to Carina. Even now, as Chuck had held Sarah close to his body whilst they slept, they could hear Casey in action through the wall.

Revenge? Casey certainly had been mad when the bug forced him to listen to them. But the new Casey was mellower in Dubai. Only a strict telling off. Fantastic.

"Mr. Bartowski, have you seen Agent Walker?" Beckman asked once she had ascertained that Sarah was no where within sight (at present she was under the duvet)

"Umm, I'm pretty sure she's in the bath right now. Sarah! You can come out of the bathroom now. Hide and seek's over" Chuck yelled to the annoyance of General Beckman.

"It's ok Chuck. I have nothing to be embarrassed about," Sarah replied, lifting her head out of the duvet.

"Ahh, Agent Walker," Beckman replied, a hint of surprise in her eyes. So she was sleeping with the asset. "I'm afraid I'm going to have to pull the plug on this romantic holiday image. It would appear that a faction of the Ring has been surveying you in relation to this object. It can be found in Ski Dubai. Your mission in the morning will be to retrieve it from our contact. The key phrase is "If only we had a camera,"

"But we do have a camera General. I've got loads of pictures ready for my Facebook account," 

"It's just a phrase honey. Why don't you leave me to talk to General Beckman and go back to sleep,"

Chuck complied, and crashed his head against the pillow. He had another mission. But it would only last a day, surely. And then back to the sightseeing. He may take her on a guided tour of Dubai through the souks. He'd heard of the legendary Gold Market. Or maybe the water park. It seemed a brilliant excuse to see Sarah in her bathing suit again.

"Very well. I shall just alert Colonel Casey,"

"Uhh General, I don't think that's a good idea," Sarah mumbled.

"Nonsense. He'll be delighted to see me,"

Beckman disappeared, and sure enough the television from the next room switched on. Sarah and Chuck could only grin as she heard the General's strict yelling.

"You know Chuck. We're both up. We could… you know,"

"Oh I know Sarah. I know,"

Sarah beamed radiantly and saddled Chuck. "This has got to be my favourite vacation,"

"Favourite so far," Chuck replied. He could feel Sarah moving in time to him, and shut his eyes. This was the life.

*

_Ski Dubai._

Casey nursed his aching head as he waddled across the blanket of artificial snow. He still had the hangover, plus he'd been caught by General Beckman riding Carina. Not the best of ideas.

Usually Casey was one to keep his innermost desires to himself, but something about Carina made him melt.

Tourists pressed their faces against the glass to see the indoor ski slope. Chuck and Sarah stood at the top, dressed in their thermals.

"I never thought of bringing a thick coat to Dubai you know Sarah,"

"Race you to the bottom Chuck,"

"Hey guys, can I join in?" asked a voice. Morgan Grimes stood on a pair of pink skis and mismatching coat. He shrugged, and potted his belly. It was his last day, to be fair. He deserved a little bit of fun.

"Fair enough," Chuck responded, his eyes shuttering briefly. Images of skiing filled his head, and he smiled. He wouldn't come last. He was confident of that.

They set off down the hill, Sarah picking up a slight lead. She dodged the artificial tree in the centre. Chuck leaned in, adjusting his centre of balance until they were neck and neck.

And then impossibly, he shifted his bodyweight one more time and overtook Sarah. He crossed the finishing line and turned around. Sarah pouted slightly and threw her arms around Chuck. She went to kiss him, before a snowball hit her square in the face. Casey whistled innocently, and then turned around to watch Morgan ski.

Or rather, fail.

Morgan seemed to trip on his ski at one point and rolled down the rest of the hill. He stood up, said "I'm ok," and then collapsed in Jeff fashion.

"Wow, if only we had a camera," Sarah laughed. A man behind her heard the words and pointed at the cabin.

The agents entered the cabin, removing their snow equipment and pulling out their weapons of choice. A man sat inside, toying with the algorithm chip.

"So my agent friends. You wish to take this off the Ring. Whilst you were skiing merrily, I was able to disarm the guard. What makes you think you can take me down,"

"Lost the ability to count in the cold? There's one of you, and three of us,"

"A disadvantage to be sure. But in these crowded conditions, one wrong move could be fatal!"

On the word fatal, the assailant lunged towards the door. He aimed a kick at Sarah, which was blocked as Chuck flashed and grabbed the leg before hurling him into the sofa. Casey blinked, obviously impressed, before pinning the assailant against the wall. Sarah took the algorithm and walked over to Chuck.

"Thanks honey," she purred.

"Imbecile," Casey muttered.

"Another clue for the crossword Casey?" Chuck smirked, brushing snow out of his hair.

"Nope. This guy is one. Now then, shall we take him to Beckman. You two stay here and look after the other imbecile,"

"I am not an imbecile," Morgan yelled in the background. "I just suffer from poor hand eye co-ordination,"

**Next time: A shopping trip to the Mall of the Emirates turns deadly as the Ring strikes. **


	9. Chuck versus the Alfa Romeo

**A/N **: **What more can I say except for Happy Ninja Monkey Attacks? This chapter explores an actiony side whilst keeping with the humour from the previous chapters. Enjoy the chapter!**

Sarah Walker stared wide eyed as she made her way across the Mall of the Emirates, figuring that she only had this one shot to enjoy being an average woman. She walked close to Chuck as Casey ducked away (No way am I coming shoe hunting with you two. I'd much rather be stuck babysitting the imbecile, Casey had objected.)

Chuck groaned as she dotted frantically across the store. He was intent on buying her at least one piece of clothing. When he had suggested this in bed the previous night, her eyes had lit up and Chuck realised he had made a grave error.

He heard Big Mike's voice in his head. "If there's one thing you gotta remember Bartowki, it's never give a woman a blank check,"

"Hmm, I see there's an Apple store here. Any chance we could go there please Sarah?"

"In a minute Chuck," Sarah replied. Damn it, he loved her but couldn't stand shoe shopping. He knew her well enough to know she wouldn't choose the most expensive pair, but expected something she would feel happy to wear. Plus this was Dubai.

"Chuck, I really like these shoes," Sarah pouted, indicating a pair of red heels. 

"How about I buy you some jewellery instead?" Chuck pointed out. She beamed at him, and led him towards the nearest jewellery store. "Thought I was the one with the photographic memory," Chuck laughed as he was dragged physically by the arm.

"A woman always knows the nearest jewellery store. And in my case, where you are," Sarah muttered, reaching out for a silver necklace with a dolphin on the chain.

"Have you seen this Ring?" Chuck indicated towards the stall next to him.

"I'm glad you're aware of my boss," the seller announced. He reached out to reveal an Uzi in his palm.

"Now then. Shall we do this the easier way or the harder way. Surrender the algorithm or I'll shoot Blondie," the man threatened, staring at Chuck.

"Chuck, stay close and follow me," Sarah snapped, fully agent again. Why was it that he couldn't escape work? Chuck mused. She motioned behind her to reveal four other men armed with Uzis proceeding towards them. They were massively outnumbered.

"Run!" Chuck yelled, heading straight for the escalator. Sarah clutched his hand tightly as they climbed, aware of the sound of gunfire below them. Nearby, a large bookstore offered a temporary haven.

"Sarah, do you have a weapon?"

"It's not enough Chuck. We just need an escape plan,"

They ran around the corner to reveal John Casey studying the puzzles section. In his hand he clutched a Sudoku book and a crossword volume.

"What? I was looking for a challenge?" Casey intoned gruffly, before the front window of the store caved in due to a hail of bullets.

"Sarah, we need to leave right now. I don't want to die next to a copy of the latest Harry Potter book,"

Sarah scanned the store, hoping for something she could use to her advantage. No weapons or even a fire extinguisher. Casey muttered and reached for his holster.

Which was empty.

"Damn it. Carina must have taken it off when we… long story," Casey winded off, aware of the glance he earned off Chuck.

And so with no weapons available, they ran. Up ahead they saw a large window with one final store. Complete with a stand offering a commercial car. An Alfa Romeo to be precise.

"Sarah. We could use the car for protection!" Chuck replied, feeling the panic set over him.

"Or we could hotwire it and drive us out of here," Casey muttered, still aware he was clutching the puzzle books. He thrust it into his pocket and climbed in the left side. Chuck hopped in the passenger seat with Sarah sliding into the back.

Unfortunately, the driver seat was on the right side.

"Switch seats Moron," Casey yelled as the pursuers regrouped

"Too late," Chuck replied, his eyes shuttering. Instantly he saw the skill he needed, and pressed the clutch down. The car jerked forward and built up speed as it hurtled towards the window. Bullets arced around them, but the car moved faster. Sarah placed a hand on Chuck's shoulder as they collided with the glass and fell.

And then impossibly, they landed on the tarmac. The tyres protested angrily as they landed. Sarah stared out of the back and noticed the agents staring in shock at the American agents.

"Right then. Hotel?" Chuck replied, breathing out.

*

They dumped the car in a street and proceeded to the hotel on foot. As they made their way into the lobby, Sarah opened up her palm which had been tensed around an object she had guarded since she left the store. The necklace Chuck had shown her with the dolphin lay there, shining with sweat.

The television flickered in their room to reveal Beckman.

"Agent Walker. Mr. Bartowski. You'll be pleased to know the local authorities will not press charges for the havoc caused today. The assailants have been arrested and are in custody for attempted murder. Feel free to enjoy the remainder of the vacation,"

Casey stumbled into the room, having just alerted Carina of the events.

"Colonel Casey. Nice to see you with some clothes on this time. You'll be pleased to know you are still on vacation. Enjoy the remainder of your time,"

An awkward silence came between them. Casey looked up gruffly and the corners of his mouth twitched.

"Thanks Bartowski. For saving me and stuff," he replied before disappearing to his recluse.

Chuck glowed with pride as Sarah held him tight. He could smell her perfume, her shampoo. Her essence.

"Chuck. I need to take a shower before we go out for a meal. Fancy giving me a hand?" Sarah replied, adrenaline still coursing through her veins after the jump.

"Definitely," Chuck padded towards the shower room before halting. "Hang on. Did Casey just smile at me back then?"

**Next up: A day of happiness lies in store for the agents as they enjoy the thrills of Dubai.**


	10. Chuck Versus the Talent Night

**A/N: Ok, so when I wrote this chapter I had a few basic ideas. This will be the last time Chuck and Sarah will have a bit of freedom in their holiday. Probably be a few fluffy moments but not as much. Disclaimer still stands, and for the more paranoid of you then he's definitely behind you.**

"So Sarah, what's happening tonight then?" Chuck asked as he adjusted his bow tie. Sarah smiled seductively as she walked out of the bedroom dressed in her bright red dress again- this time wearing the necklace Chuck had pointed out.

"It's Talent Night in the hotel tonight. I thought it would be a good way to release the stress after the past few days. Besides, there's a Take That tribute band,"

"I didn't know you liked Take That,"

"I don't usually. It just seemed like a blast,"

He looped into her arm as they emerged into the elevator. Inside stood John Casey, fiddling with some cards in front of him whilst Carina stared approvingly.

"You ok Casey? You look a bit nervous," Chuck asked.

"Carina wants me to do a bit of stand-up. She said I'm a right comedian and that she'll reward me if I do,"

"Casey, you never do anything like this!"

"We believe that one of the agents from the mall attack may be watching tonight. This will give us an advantage. It's only observation work,"

They entered the lobby and headed for the area that had been set aside for them. The room was full of holiday goers. Carina joined them at their table and ordered some drinks.

"Hello ladies and gents. My name is Jefferson, and today I thought I'd open with a look at recent events. So, you guys like Reagan? He's a national hero and a damn good man. No? How about Cuba? Everyone loves Cuba. Really nice place,"

"Sarah, why is Casey pretending to be funny?" Chuck mumbled, a look of worry on his face.

"He's just getting warmed up," Carina purred.

A few minutes later and Casey was approaching the grand finale.

"So anyway right, a rich DC lawyer, a poor DC lawyer and Santa find $1000 in Buy More. Who picks it up? The rich DC lawyer- the other two are figments of your imagination!" Casey finished, swigging his whisky. He approached their table, weaving slightly as he walked.

"Casey, are you drunk?" Chuck asked.

"May be Moron. You know, I've always wished I had hair like yours Chuck. Not the dress sense- could do without that," Casey mumbled, before passing out into his chair.

"Carina, how much did he have to drink before he went on stage?" Sarah giggled.

"A few glasses. He's drunk on booze and love,"

The hotel manager approached the mike and the lights dimmed.

"Ladies and gentlemen. Thank you to Mr. Jefferson down there. Now is the moment you have all been waiting for. The Take That tribute band is here from California!"

"Hmm, maybe we'll know them!" Chuck said enthusiastically, clapping over the noise.

"Please welcome… Jeffster!"

Sarah spat out her champagne in shock. Those two idiots? How the hell did Jeff and Lester manage to get to Dubai? They weren't even musicians, let alone good.

Sure enough, Lester ran up on stage. His brow glistened with sweat. Behind him, Jeff flexed his fingers and adjusted a ridiculously large hat.

"Hello Dubai. A few days ago, Jeffrey and I were working in a small store in California. Then we were invited to play our first gig here. So now we're going to start with a little composition of our own that we call "Ballad of the Buy More Cooler"

"Cover your ears," Chuck advised to Carina, who looked dumbfounded.

"Isn't that the two misfits in the place you work in Chuck?"

"Technically we're all misfits but yeah,"

_Oh mystery cooler, what delights do you share._

_Oh mystery cooler, do you smell of apples or pear?_

_What delight will not compare,_

_To the sight of old potatoes on Morgan's beard hair…_

The audience burst into tears of laughter. Casey looked up drunkenly and gave a dramatic "Boo!" before collapsing again. Poor guy, thought Chuck. He sure had been drinking.

A man stood up to leave, and Chuck followed him- eager to distract himself from the pain he was collectively sharing from Jeffster. And then he flashed.

Ahmed Obertan. Born in Dubai, training with the CORE. Developer of the algorithm. And one other detail which for some reason- something which had never happened before- was obscured.

"Sarah, that's him," Chuck warned, pointing at the technician who was making his way to the door. She reached for her cell phone and dialled a few numbers.

"Yes this is Walker. We have a positive I.D. Leaving the bar now," she spoke.

"Chuck, this is awful. You coming?"

Without hesitation, Chuck stood up and followed spa was completely empty as they sank into the Jacuzzi. Chuck wrapped his arms across Sarah's waist and smiled.

*

"You know Chuck, I've been thinking. This has been a real learning curve for us," she whispered into his ear as she sat on his lap. She grinded against him briefly, and smiled as she felt him harden.

"This holiday has shown a new side. We can work together as well as be in a relationship," she realised. It had worked with Bryce. Surely it could work with Chuck.

"That doesn't solve anything Sarah. Something fishy's going on here," Chuck replied. Sarah placed a finger over his lips and turned around to face him. Their bodies were entangling together, their hearts beating together. In the background, they heard Jeffster belting out "Rule the World". The audience were in a cacophony of boos by now, but still Jeffster played the last song.

Chuck began to sing the chorus softly under his breath as he kissed Sarah. As she pressed the button to activate the bubbles. As she slipped her bikini pants down for him. He smiled longingly at her, his heart bursting.

When they were done, they walked hand in hand back to the area. Casey and Carina were still sat at the same table.

"So Moron. Did you enjoy the fresh air," Casey mumbled into his drink. Carina twirled with her hair in boredom.

"Yeah. Shouldn't you go to bed?"

"Excellent idea Devon. Goodnight Chuckles," Casey mumbled, before falling asleep on the table. Carina patted his head twice.

"I'm going to turn in too guys. See you in the morning," Carina yawned.

"Shouldn't we wake up Casey?" Chuck asked as Sarah motioned for them to turn in.

"Leave sleeping soldiers lie," Sarah replied, before the three agents left Casey to sleep at his table.

**Later that night.**

Chuck woke up sweating.

"What's up Chuck?" Sarah mumbled, aware he had sprung practically out of bed. She examined the alarm clock- 3.52. By the sounds of the snoring next door, Casey had returned to his bedroom.

"When I flashed on the guy, there was a bit that I couldn't remember. But now I can. And boy are we in trouble,"

**A/N: Wow. What can the last detail of the flash be? The action resumes in the next chapter as the loose ends are hurled together before we get to the grand finale. **


	11. Chuck versus the Split

**A/N: OK, a few bits of news for you. This chapter and the next few will be the last of Chuck versus the Palm, so I'm upping the anti a bit now. It's a different writing style with a lot of action. On the plus side, I'm planning two follow up stories. More information to be posted on my profile. And remember, if the monkeys don't bite, they will.**

Sarah sat bolt upright, ignoring the early hours.

"You had some information obscured?" Sarah asked, concerned.

"Yeah, but see I remembered in my dream. Ahmed built a back up copy which was buried deep down in a computer. Trouble is, that computer must have taken some damage,"

As though a shroud had been lifted from her, Sarah saw the lines being drawn together. Coincidence? Or fate?

Morgan Grimes supposedly winning a competition to go to Dubai. Morgan turning up at the Ski Dubai. Carina working undercover as a waitress in their hotel. Jeff and Lester being flown half way across the world to perform, despite their inability.

"Technicians!" Sarah realised. "Morgan must have been contacted first to deal with the computer, but he was unsuccessful. So they contact Jeff and Lester. I'd bet a million dollars the company requested you first, but you were off work,"

"But what about Carina?"

"She was here before, observing them. But something must have happened," Sarah shifted her body and activated the television.

"Connect to General Beckman. Code 148B,"

Not that he needed to, but Chuck flashed. Possible threat to Castle needed to be averted. The screen showed the connection logo, and General Beckman's outline appeared.

And it fizzled out to reveal Ahmed Obertan's grinning face.

"Good evening Agent Walker. I see we can meet face to face. You may be wondering why your secure connection has been terminated. It would appear that Jeff and Lester could fix my computer in return for a chance to perform tonight. And now I'm taking action,"

"We can help you," Chuck replied, concerned.

"Silence Bartowski. At this moment in time a team of CORE agents are headed for your hotel room to exterminate you and your team. Following that, we will attack the United States. We thank you for your help,"

"Not if I stop them first," Chuck screamed and tapped some keys on the remote. There was silence, and then the fire alarm went off.

"Casey, we need to go now. We have been compromised. 148B, I repeat 148B" Sarah yelled, reaching into her luggage for her M9. She threw a G18 at Chuck as she yelled through the wall. She left the hotel room with Chuck in tow and breathed deeply. Casey poked his head around the wall.

"Obertan yeah?" Casey grumbled despite his hangover. He holstered his weapon.

"Casey, I'm going to stay here. They don't know I'm an agent," Carina assumed as she hammered the elevator button.

"Sarah, the power's down. Those agents are stuck in the lift," Chuck yelled.

"Nice going Moron. Next time you choose to trigger Emergency Protocols, make sure we're near the ground floor,"

"What's up Casey? Few stairs going to annoy you?"

"Moron, we have a penthouse apartment right at the top. By the time we get down the stairs we'll be dead,"

"Right then. Abseil it is," Sarah replied. They ran up the fire escape they had noticed- Casey turning on his heel as he dialled his cell phone.

"General, it's me. 148B. We are evacuating via abseil," Casey yelled as the assailants began hammering on the lift doors. It wasn't long until they'd be free.

"Walker, we've got no time to abseil. They'll be free in 2 minutes," Casey yelled.

"Then we'll parachute,"

Three backpacks lay ahead of them. Attaching it to his back, Chuck felt the adrenaline surging through his body.

"Beckman says you need to head to a Hilton Jumeirah Beach. You've got connections to terminate this virus," Casey replied.

"Where are you going?"

"Carina and I are headed after Obertan in the inner city," he responded. He saluted Chuck and Sarah before jumping first. Sarah gave Chuck one long hard kiss before they jumped hand in hand. The warm air brushed in their faces as they hurtled towards the ground.

And then the parachute hurled open and he stopped falling so dramatically. They heard the sounds of gunfire from above them, but they were out of range. They were headed straight for the gulf. A nearby speedboat offered shelter as CIA snipers began shooting at the hotel.

And then Chuck passed out, and the sound of the waves took him.

*

"Chuck! Wake up Chuck. Honey, you can wake up now," came Sarah's voice. He felt the bed beneath him and relaxed.

"Where are we?"

"Hilton Hotel. We made it,"

Chuck opened his eyes to reveal a room no less in grandeur than their last, but simpler. A series of laptop screens illustrated a countdown clock with the numbers 15:00:00.

"Let me guess. 15 hours until all hell breaks loose?"

"Yeah. Now then, let's get to work,"

**So, can Team Bartowski overcome the plans of CORE? Stay tuned, and thanks for the reviews.**


	12. Casey versus the souk

**A/N: There will be a poll on my profile so you can vote for the latest oneshot before I proceed with the sequel to Chuck Versus the Palm:**

**CHUCK VERSUS THE CRUISE: **_**At least in Dubai, Casey could have his freedom. Now, he's on a cruise ship. **_

14 Hours until the launch of the Virus

John Casey walked out of the Gold Market, adjusting his shades as he did so. He glanced about the market, trying to scope out Obertan.

Nothing.

Carina sidled up next to him, the cell phone in her hand.

"Just got word from Sarah. Chuck's working on some programming and he's got help from some guy back in California. We're on our own,"

The sun was slowly beginning to rise. Even at 4:30 in the morning, the air around them was humid. A few traders were beginning to emerge sleepily, freezing at the sight of the two sentries.

"Times like this we need Bartowski," Casey mumbled, flexing his muscles in preparation.

A trader walked up to them, thrusting a handbag in their direction. Casey grabbed him and pinned him to the wall.

"Now listen here. Do you know an Ahmed Obertan," Casey demanded. "Don't make me shove that bag up your throat,"

The trader pointed towards a ceramics trader who was quietly watching all this. The trader gave them one frightened look and ran.

"Damn it Carina, let's go!"

*

Chuck hammered away on the laptop, attempting to find a way in to the microchip. He had called his father in to help him, but other than that he was shooting blanks.

Sarah had done her best to help, but she wasn't a computers girl. She should have been out hunting with Casey and Carina, not stuck in a hotel room with the likes of him. And the feelings he had for her intensified slightly as he realised how quickly things had changed- romantic vacation one minute to saving the world.

"Chuck, I'm just going to phone Casey and Carina. Do you want anything from the shop?" she asked. Chuck shook his head and continued tapping away on the keyboard. She left the room, leaving him alone.

The CIA networking page flashed in front of him with the usual logo. Chuck watched it for a moment, reflecting in the hopelessness.

Hang on. Was that a link beneath the logo?

Chuck hovered over it to discover a link leading straight back to the algorithm. He clicked on it, loading the code before printing it out.

It only got to half way before the printer exploded.

The door knocked behind him, and he tutted. Sarah forgotten her keys? He swung open the door sarcastically, preparing a wry remark, before freezing.

Ahmed Obertan stood before him brandishing a Desert Eagle. He smiled a broken smile. "Room service?"

*

They ran through the souks- Casey and Carina giving pursuit to the vender. Around them they could smell the spices, but that wouldn't distract them.

The vender ran into a side alley and paused. Dead end.

"Obertan?" Casey asked, his pistol shining in the sun.

"Nope. Just a close friend of his. You will never defeat the CORE Casey," the vender replied.

Casey grunted, and shot him.

"So what do we do now? Looks like our intel was off," Carina breathed, massaging her calves.

The cell phone rang in his pocket, and Casey flipped it open.

"Walker, looks like our intel was off. Obertan is nowhere near us,"

"He's here Casey. Him and a dozen of his cronies have just stormed the hotel. I think he's gone after Chuck,"

Casey looked up and could see the Jumeirah coastline in the distance, before sighing. They had a long distance to cover, and not necessarily the time to do it in.

"Hang tight Walker. We're on our way,"

"Casey, come here a minute," Carina yelled, revealing a necklace she had found on the trader.

"Looks like a bargaining chip presented to this guy. From the looks of it, he was going to sell it off to the government,"

"Obertan has Chuck. We need to move now,"

*

"So Chuck, shall we do this the easy way or the hard way?" Obertan replied, forcing his way into the room and pointing the Desert Eagle square at him.

"Is there a mutual third option? If not, I'll take the easy way please,"

"Give me the codings,"

"Just a minute. I'll print them off now,"

Chuck's fingers hammered at the keypad. He did his best to cover the screen from Obertan as he clicked the "SEND" icon. Obertan pushed him aside as he watched the file disappearing via email.

"Chuck. That was a beautiful mistake,"

*  
Sarah ran down the corridor, aware that every moment she wasted was a moment she could be without Chuck. Obertan was a worthy adversary who had made some simple mistakes.

Always leave your whole backup on the corridor. NOT lounging around the bar. And most certainly NOT one guy who Sarah could defeat simply by coughing.

Never mess with Team Bartowski.

She could hear the sounds of struggle even from the distance that separated her from her room. The guard looked up as she sprinted down the hallway and froze.

And then without warning, she had two single shots ringing out from inside the room.

**To be continued. **


	13. Sarah versus The End

Sarah easily disarmed the guard as she heard the shot ring through the corridor. Please God don't let it be Chuck. Don't let him die. She had so much to give to him, so much to share.

In the seconds that followed, Sarah heard the sounds of gunfire below her and knew that Casey and Carina had arrived and were dealing with the forces below. She kicked the door down, and observed the scenes before her.

Obertan stood firm against the wall as Chuck lay motionless on the floor before her. She saw blood pouring from his jacket and feared the worst. Obertan gulped as he looked up at her.

"Too late Walker. I've killed your boyfriend and I've just launched a virus throughout every single computer in America. I win," he cackled, aiming his smoking Desert Eagle at her. She was stuck in a Texas Faceoff.

"Why did you kill him?"

"In his last moments he sent his plans to a person called Orion. I fear these plans are ineffective. You can kill me but it won't bring him back. It won't stop my orders. Even now we wait,"

Obertan went to trigger the finger, but collapsed in a heap. Blood poured from a wound in his neck as he fell slowly. Blood gurgled in his mouth, and Sarah couldn't help but notice the knife protruding from his chest.

"Leave my girlfriend alone," hissed a winded voice from behind him.

"Chuck!" Sarah yelled happily. Her boyfriend stood up slowly, her knife firmly in his hands. He ripped open his shirt.

"Bulletproof vest baby. Thought I'd put it on as you went out to contact Carina,"

"I thought you were dying! What about the blood?"

"Blood capsules in the vest installed by Beckman. Thought it may come in handy,"

Sarah couldn't care less about the latest technology. She wrapped her arms around him and kissed him long and hard. Tears filled her eyes as she saw her life flash before her eyes without me. They stayed locked in their embrace.

"I thought I lost you,"

"You'll never lose me,"

And then the ring of gunfire from below them ripped them apart.

"Casey,"

*

John Casey put his foot down in the rented Ford Focus, well aware that time was against him. He saw Sarah's dot in the screen flashing urgently, whereas Chuck was in the same room as the target.

"Casey. 12 assailants in the ground floor. We'll never make it past them!" Carina yelled, screwing her eyes shut.

"Don't worry. This trick worked once in LA. It will work here,"

The hotel lobby drew ever closer, but still Casey drove on. He fetched his Uzi from the car and threw a magazine to Carina.

"One mag. Make it count Carina,"

They smashed through the lobby, sending glass hurtling everywhere. They caught the guards unaware, and by the time Casey and Carina sprinted out of the car and behind cover they were in an excellent position.

And then they heard Obertan's shots and Sarah yelling Chuck's name.

"The Intersect's down. Go loud!" Casey yelled, firing blindly over the top of the bonnet. Three warriors had them pinned down with gunfire. The guns clicked and they froze. No ammo.

"Guess this is it Carina. Least it's been a blast,"

"Too right. Thanks for the sex," Carina mumbled, kissing Casey's neck. As the assailants pressed forward, they held hands awaiting the end.

And then the lift doors to ping open to reveal Chuck and Sarah armed with M9s. They ran into the middle of the lobby and stood back to back. Chuck was the first to fire, before whirling Sarah. As she hung in midair, she took a shot which dislodged an attacker who was in cover.

Sarah then knelt down, and Chuck placed a foot on her back and somersaulted in midair whilst firing blindly. The bullets took out the attackers. Standing together, they breathed heavily as Casey and Carina poked their heads around the Focus.

"Chuck. You're still in one piece?" Casey yelled, a look of relief on his face.

"We're not out of the woods yet Johnny boy. Obertan activated a virus. I sent a copy to my dad but I don't think it's enough,"

"So what now?"

"Casey, can you cover this area?"

"Yeah. How come?"

"I need to head to the room to defuse this time bomb. And right now every single rogue agent in Dubai will be coming for our blood. Right now key information could be anywhere in the world and we need to stop it,"

"Lucky we just need to defuse a computer bomb yeah?" Sarah asked, wiping a tear from her eyes.

"No time like the present. We need to go now!" Chuck yelled, surprising himself as he was giving out orders. Sarah followed him into the elevator and they waited as they climbed.

"We need to talk about us. About our future after this Chuck," Sarah said to bridge the silence.

"Yeah," he replied wearily. The doors pinged open to reveal two CORE agents with their backs to them. Was that their speedboat driver?

Sarah dispatched them easily, and they ran into the bedroom. Chuck swung open the laptop and began hammering at the keys. An icon on the right showed his father was working on the first half of the code, which just left the second half.

"Chuck, what's that timer?" Sarah asked.

"The virus hasn't been triggered yet. But we only have 60 seconds until that thing goes live. In the next 60 seconds the world as we know it could change forever…"

**A/N: The last chapter to Chuck versus the Palm will be added later. Will Team Bartowski stop the time bomb?**

**On a separate note, I'm glad to see a few of you enjoyed the previous cliffhanger. This one is just as important too! Reminder that you guys have a chance to pick the next short story (Bye More published today) on my profile. Thanks for your support =D**


	14. Chuck versus the End

**A/N: ****This is my last chapter of Chuck versus the Palm, and it pretty much wraps up the whole story. I want to thank you all for reading my first Chuck Fan Fic. The sequel will be out soon in CHUCK VERSUS THE CRUISE. Thanks for everything.**

60 seconds to go.

Chuck Bartowski studied the layering of code in front of him briefly, well aware of the timer that was going off on the top left hand side of the screen. Sarah studied too, to the best of her ability that is- but realised she was totally lost.

The door swung open and Carina darted in holding the necklace.

"We found this on a dealer in the souk. Does it mean anything to you?" she asked. Downstairs they could hear Casey yelling for Carina's back-up. Chuck stared at it briefly, and began to flash.

Images of Obertan. His coding. The basics of his virus. And more importantly the deactivation code.

"Chuck, stay here. I'm going to help Casey," Sarah yelled, running for the elevator. And then noticed it was on the top floor.

"Allow me," Carina smiled and prised the lift door open. She studied the lift cable and then using a pair of gloves was able to zip down it. Sarah soon followed into the lobby to discover Casey engaging in 6 more attackers.

Chuck still hammered away, typing in the multi-digit deactivation code he had flashed on. He was aware of the seconds ticking down- was that 8 seconds to go?

Half the code turned green and he knew that his father had cracked the first half of the algorithm. Desperately, he inputed the final 4 characters and hit send just as the counter ran down to 0.01.

To Chuck's relief, a message flashed on screen announcing "VIRUS DEACTIVATED". A look of relief on his face, Chuck sank into his chair as another message popped up. "ACES CHARLES. YOU'RE ACES,"

Downstairs, Casey, Sarah and Carina were easily picking off the remnants of CORE. Casey grunted at Carina, and then saw the lift ping open.

"You coming Walker? See how loverboy's getting on?"

"Got to finish your crossword book yet Casey?" Sarah replied to Carina's amusement.

"It's a passtime," Casey moaned quietly. They arrived on the correct floor and went straight for the room. Chuck was sat in the chair grinning manically as General Beckman's face filled the flat screen television.

"Good to see you Team. It would seem we owe you a debt. However, I'm afraid that we're going to have to call you back to California. Your flight leaves in 12 hours. I shall see you in Castle myself tomorrow. Beckman out,"

Casey rubbed his shoulder briefly, and looked at Carina.

"You fancy coming paragliding Carina?" he asked, blushing slightly.

"Sure," she said, looping her arm through Casey's. They left Chuck and Sarah alone in the bedroom.

"You think Carina will come with us?"

"No Chuck. She's just here on orders. At the end of the day, her and Casey just aren't going to last,"

"You know Miss Walker, I recall the General saying we had at least 8 hours. We could make the most of it,"

Sarah arched an eyebrow.

"What did you have in mind?"

"Well I've arranged a private helicopter tour as a surprise. So uhh, Surprise! And after that, we could come back to the room and... you know."

"Chuck, that sounds fantastic,"

"Just one thing though. Can we change rooms? I don't like Obertan watching us as we make out,"

Sarah laughed, and then looped her arm through Chuck's. Together they headed for the helipad for their last day.

On the plane.

The same first class seats beckoned them on as they had arrived on to the plane. It seemed Casey had once again drifted off- this time on an incident unrelated to drink. He was curled up in his seat happily.

"Should I poke him?" Chuck asked between a mouthful of pretzel.

"I'll be right back Chuck," Sarah laughed. She headed for the bathroom cubicle to unwind. As she dabbed at her face with a wet flannel she noticed Chuck stood behind her.

"Chuck, this cubicle's taken,"

"Is it Sarah?" Chuck grinned, making his way in. In an instant she was lost as he began to kiss her neck. He lifted her up gently onto the sink and she wrapped her legs around him. She wanted togetherness, and that's what she'd get.

They returned 15 minutes later to discover Casey still motionless in his seat. Chuck sat next to him and swiped the Sudoku book from the chair holder. Inside, Casey had scribbled a variety of numbers, Chinese symbols and on a particularly hard one a doodle of Casey strangling Chuck.

"Ahh. Our little Casey's all grown up," Chuck mumbled. Half asleep, Casey lifted a pillow from the floor and hurled it at Chuck's face.

They arrived back in California to see Devon and Ellie stood waiting for them at the airport.

"So how was it guys? How was Dubai?" Ellie piped, delighted to see her brother back and looking happier than when he'd left.

"Different," Casey grunted, making his way towards the luggage rail.

"So where do you guys want to go first?"

"Actually Ellie, Sarah and I need to check up on Morgan. See whereabouts he is,"

"Awesome idea bro. Haven't seen the little man in ages. I thought he was coming back with you," Devon offered, hi-fiving Chuck.

Together they headed for Orange Orange, leaving Devon and Ellie to browse in the Buy More. They discovered Beckman waiting for them.

"Congratulations Team. You've earned a few days rest before your next assignment which I've left on the table before you,"

Casey reached across and opened the envelope. His jaw dropped as he read the card, and his eyes opened widely despite the jetlag.

"General, you have got to be kidding me," Casey said, imitating Chuck slightly. Beckman smiled, and looked at Sarah.

"We need to talk later Agent Walker about you and Bartowski. But we'll leave that for another day,"

Chuck smiled at his girlfriend, and then looked at his boss.

"Uhh General Beckman, have you seen my friend Morgan?"

Somewhere in Germany. Or more precisely tied to a post outside Berlin airport.

"Hello guys? Can you let me out? When you said you'd drop me off in Germany I thought you were kidding. C'mon I'm missing the Invasion map and Hawaiian Tuesdays! C'mon"

**A/N: The action continues with Chuck versus the Cruise: first chapter up soon. **


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